Historical society looking for artifacts.

Historical society looking for artifacts.

By Betty Driscol

Oceana County Historical and Genealogical Society

Up in the closet, far in the back, covered in dust and shaded from light was an old ratty looking book with yellowed papers and tattered corners.

A long time ago you remember Grandma looking through it, talking about people you never meet, turning the pages like she was time traveling back to an era before you were born. She’d stare fondly at an obituary, then blink away a tear when she mentioned her favorite cousin.

But the names and records and memories are vague and the scrapbook is just another thing that must be cleaned out of the house as you prepare it for sale.

Well, actually, it’s not. Remember the old adage: “One man’s junk is another man’s treasure”?  

We’re the treasure hunters! The Oceana County Historical and Genealogical Society has over 100,000 obituaries of people associated with our county – but our collection of Oceana artifacts is far from complete.  

In addition to obits, we have an extensive assortment of death records, funeral cards and memorials, photographs, school records, yearbooks, family histories, land records, plat books, cemetery records, and so much more.

Please, before you throw it away, consider donating it to the Oceana County Historical Society, located in Hart across from the Sheriff’s Department. Because someone in your family, this generation or the next, will be so very grateful that you did!

We’re open every Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. www.OceanaHistory.com, 231-873-2600.  Stop in…look round…research a bit.